Will Richard just sealed fate of beloved Warriors veteran after dynamic debut

After missing Saturday's California Classic opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, Will Richard has made up for lost time with an impressive debut for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at Chase Center.

Richard finished his debut with 16 points, four rebounds, an assist and two steals in 25 minutes, but his attempted buzzer-beating game-winner agonizingly fell off the rim as the Warriors went down 90-88 to the San Antonio Spurs.

Richard began his Warrior tenure in the best way possible, going coast-to-coast for a layup after a smart strip and steal on the first possession of the game. The 22-year-old's 3-point shot didn't quite arrive, but he still made a fine debut that could signal the end for beloved Golden State veteran Gary Payton II.

Will Richard made an early statement in his Warriors debut

When the Warriors traded up and drafted Richard 56th overall at last week's draft, there was an early thought that he could be a younger and cheaper alternative to Payton who is currently an unrestricted free agent.

That potential may have just taken a step forward with this performance. While Richard's 16 points and ability to get to the free-throw line were nice to see, it was his ability to make things happen defensively that would have been most pleasing for Golden State fans.

Richard shot just 3-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-8 from 3-point range, but went a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line while his impact was displayed in plus-minus where he was a +13.

Fellow recent draft pick Alex Toohey remained on the sidelines for a second-straight game, putting all eyes on Richard given Golden State were also without two-way contracted guard Taran Armstrong who put up seven points and six assists without a turnover against the Lakers.

Richard is coming off a triumphant senior year with Florida where he averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals, including going for 18 points and eight rebounds in the national championship game against Houston.

Richard went against LJ Cryer in that championship game, but the two are now teammates on Golden State's Summer League squad. Cryer led the Warriors in scoring on Sunday, going for 19 points on 5-of-7 3-point shooting in under 23 minutes.

As for Payton, he's still looking for his next NBA contract after averaging 15 minutes for Golden State last season. If Richard can continue pushing his case for a guaranteed contract with the Warriors on the main roster, that could prove a severe blow to Payton's prospects of returning to the franchise.